Teachers threaten strike in July
Kenyan teachers have vowed to go on strike to press the government to hire 40,000 teachers from July.
They are demanding that the government allocates Sh15 billion to hire the additional tutors in the next fiscal year.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) chairman Wilson Sossion said their members will go on strike on July 1 if the funds are not allocated.
The government, Mr Sossion said, should also set aside Sh6.9 billion for the employment of 25,000 Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers in the next budget.
Mr Sossion stated that once the 40,000 teachers have been hired, the union will pressurise the government to employ 10,000 teachers in each of the successive financial years to bridge the shortage in most learning institutions.
“The ministry should also ask for more than Sh10 billion for teachers arrears accruing from their salary pay rise awarded in 1997,” said Mr Sossion said.
He was speaking at the Bomet Green Stadium during the district education day presided over by the Acting Education PS George Godia.
Responsibility allowances
Internal security minister Prof. George Saitoti, assistant minister Beatrice Kones and MPs Joyce Laboso and Gideon Kochellah were among other speakers at the function.
The chairman lamented that it was sad for the government to introduce free primary learning and subsidised secondary education without setting aside enough funds for employment of teachers.
Mr Sossion said more than 75,000 ECD teachers need to be employed in the long run noting that lack of staff was compromising education standards for three million children under the programme.
The union will also be demanding that the government pays head teachers both in primary and secondary schools responsibility allowances.
Head teachers should receive 50 per cent of their basic salary as responsibility allowance, their deputies 40 per cent and senior teachers and heads of departments will get 30 per cent.
Education, he maintained, was the key to Kenya’s development and wondered how this could be realised in a situation where learning institutions were left without teachers.
Prof Godia revealed that the ministry was in discussion with the Treasury to ensure that 40,000 teachers were employed in the next financial year.
Reacting to issues raised by the Ms Kones, the Bomet MP, the PS assured that 15 secondary schools in the region would be considered for an upgrade of their infrastructure and laboratories equipment.
The acting PS regretted that cases of drug abuse and homosexuality among the youth was on the rise and challenged teachers to be closer to the students so as to understand them better.
Ms Kones, Dr Laboso and Konchellah congratulated parents, teachers and the students for the good results that the institutions posted in last year’s KCPE and KCSE examinations.
